A Tangle in the Vines(A Calla Lily Mystery)by Anna Celeste Burke

I am excited to welcome Anna Celeste Burke to Escape with Dollycas today!

Hi Anna Celeste,

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a retired professor who lives in the California desert near Palm Springs. That’s where you’ll find me most days, Snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style!

I took the long way around to writing fiction. I worked in the field of behavioral health treatment and research for thirty years. I wrote and published many nerdy academic titles during that period of my life. When they say publish or perish in university settings, they mean it!

The subject matter about how to improve outcomes for people with alcohol, drug, and mental health problems was interesting and meaningful to me. The structure and style used for writing and reporting what I’d learned from the research was excruciatingly stilted and confining.

In the oh so serious world of social and behavioral science, making stuff up is strictly taboo. Writing fiction began as a fun, creative, and liberating activity. When I retired, I was finally free to make stuff up all the time!

When I’m not writing, I enjoy hiking, reading, exploring old haunts and new locales in California, and hanging out with my husband and Siamese cat, Coco.

What are three things most people don’t know about you?

*Before I became a professor, I worked as a chef at Walt Disney World after completing their WDW University Chef Training. I have a real “Micky Mouse” diploma!

*I’m also trained as a psychotherapist and worked as a clinician for about five years. I continued to have a role in supervising students in practice settings for the entire time I was a professor. It was a great way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world.

*I’m a strong believer in the value of second chances.

What is the first book you remember reading?

I was four years old and read The Little Golden Books over and over. The Little Red Hen was a favorite. I loved fairytales, too.

What are you reading now?

A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman. I also have a recently released David Baldacci book that I hope to find the time to read soon. There are still a couple of Sara Paretsky’s more recent books that I haven’t read—so many books, so little time!

What books have most inspired you?

There are so many! I loved the classics written by women like Louisa May Alcott, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jane Austen. I didn’t know about their struggles, but they made it seem natural for women to write and to be taken seriously. I read scads of biographies that inspired me, too, including those about women pioneers in science like Marie Curie.

What made you decide you wanted to write mysteries?

Like so many other girls, I got hooked on mysteries by reading Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and The Hardy Boys books. As I got older, I moved on to Agatha Christie, Edgar Allen Poe, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories featuring his Sherlock Holmes character. Unique, idiosyncratic, even flawed characters were especially interesting to me. I was captivated by Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Mrs. Pollifax, Jim Qwilleran, VI Warshawski, and so many other well-known sleuths.

When I decided to write fiction, mysteries seemed a natural extension of my fascination with understanding people, their motives, and choice of methods for solving their problems. There’s a lot of detective work in doing research and in working with clients struggling with alcohol, drug, and mental health problems. Sometimes those problems get them into legal trouble, so I had contact with the criminal justice system during my career. In fact, one of the first research projects I worked on was conducted in a women’s prison. Even in prison, the questions about whounit and why don’t always end.

Do you have a special place you like to write?

Yes. I have a big chair—a chair and a half. Coco, my Siamese cat, sometimes sits on the back of it while I write. The chair sits in front of a large window in the great room with a view of sunny blue skies, glittering palm trees, and magenta bougainvillea. The Santa Rosa Mountains are visible in the distance, too.

Where do the ideas for your books come from?

It depends. Radical Regatta, my latest book in the Corsario Cove series, draws on a real-life incident—a dog found alone, swimming in the ocean. In that case, the dog had fallen off a cargo carrier and was rescued by workers on an oil rig. The situation seemed to have the makings of a great mystery. It also seemed a perfect way to start a new story for my twenty-something snoops, Kim and Brien, who love each other, surfing, and sleuthing.

The entire Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series is inspired by the time I spent “working for the mouse” at the “Mouse Factory.” Some of the circumstances and incidents in the stories are loosely based on those I experienced during the five years I worked for Disney.

When I went to “casting” and joined the Disney family, Walt Disney was no longer alive. I often heard him referred to fondly as a creative genius who also had more than his share of flaws. That description applies as well to “Mad” Max Marley, founder of Marvelous Marley World—a Disneyesque entertainment empire based on the success of a cartoon cat.

In a way, the Georgie Shaw series is an exercise in what ifs. Georgie Shaw, trained as a chef, spends her entire career working for the “Cat,” and eventually moves into upper management at Marvelous Marley World. What if I’d stayed at Disney? How interesting might the “path not taken” have been—with a big dose of murder and mayhem tossed in, of course?

Most often the idea for the next book in a series comes from some incident or character in the previous book. I enjoy writing mysteries with “ensemble” casts and a new mystery in the series creates the opportunity to feature a particular “cast member.” For example, in A Dead Nephew, book 6 in the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series to be released later this year, Betsy Stark, a peripheral member of Jessica’s “Cat Pack” will play a larger role. Her Cahuillan ancestry is important in the next mystery where the murder victim and the young man convicted of killing him are both members of a wealthy local tribe here in the Coachella Valley.

Is there anything about writing you find most challenging?

Keeping up with all the tasks involved in publishing and marketing my books is very challenging.

What do you think makes a good story?

Apart from introducing readers to interesting characters who change and grow over the course of a series, I want readers to feel as if they’re part of the action, and I like to keep them guessing until the very end. It’s also important to me for each new mystery I write to be fresh and unique.

Which, of all your characters, do you think is the most like you?

I’ve mentioned that some aspects of Georgie Shaw’s life are like mine. That’s true for most of my lead characters. My twenty-something sleuths, Kim Reed and Brien Williams, are an homage to the young, impulsive couple my husband and I were at their age. My husband and I ran off and married in Tijuana. I was underaged at the time, so I got as far as LA before the police picked me up as a runaway. Still married forty-nine years later, we’ve matured some although I’m still waiting for the “wisdom” that comes with aging to kick in. LOL! The high-school dropout, rock and roll guitar player I married, grew up, and became a professor too. That’s part of why I love second chances and believe in writing about characters who grow and change over time. A long “character arc” is one of the luxuries of writing a series.

What makes your books different from others out there in this genre?

They all feature romance and humor, which isn’t always the case with books in the cozy mystery genre. Two of the series I write include a bit more suspense than many cozies—The Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery Series and the Call Lily Mystery series. These two series are closer on the continuum to “edgy” cozy mysteries but are less edgy than the Agatha Raisin or Stephanie Plum series.

The other three—Corsario Cove, Georgie Shaw, and Seaview Cottages are much more traditional cozy mysteries. Like most culinary cozies, my characters eat well. That probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise given my job as a chef. I have series that feature both cats and dogs, but most recently, I’ve added a more unusual pet to one of the series.

Another difference in my series might also be that in the Corsario Cove and Georgie Shaw series, married couples solve the mysteries together. I don’t think that happens often, but I find the Thin Man series by Dashiell Hammett so enjoyable I’ve watched the old films starring Myrna Loy, Ronald Coleman, and their dog, Asta, over and over.

Until recently, I didn’t realize it, but all my female leads are “survivors” of one kind or another. That wasn’t a conscious decision on my part, but it isn’t too surprising. There’s more to the story, but I’ll leave that for another time.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

I have two more books planned in the Calla Lily Mystery series for early next year: Fall’s Killer Vintage, mystery #3, and The Vintner’s Other Daughter, #4. I have a new book planned for each of the other series, too. A Dead Nephew, Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery #6 will be out in early November. A Fairway to Arms in Hemingway Hills, Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery #4 or A Canary in the Canal, Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #8 will be available by the end of the year—I’m not sure which one yet. I’d be delighted if I could finish both by then.

Radical Regatta, Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery #4 is only available in our USA Today Bestselling box set, Summer Snoops Unleashed: 14 Furr-ocious Mysteries & Cozy Crimes. That is a limited-edition box set and will be unpublished at the end of October. At that point, I’ll make Radical Regatta available as a standalone book. I have a fifth book in the works for the Corsario Cove series, Bogus Bones, in which two newly introduced rascals in book 4 will be back to cause more mischief.

About A Tangle In The Vines

The curtain may fall on the Calla Lily Players’ first season unless Lily and Austin can find a killer on the loose in California’s wine country. Torrential rains threaten to put a damper on The Calla Lily Players’ first outdoor theater production. When the ground suddenly shifts, buried secrets revealed amid the tangled vines put the spotlight on murder. As Lily and Austin dig deeper into the mystery, the drama unfolds onstage and off. The race is on to find a killer before opening night.

Grab your copy of the second book in the Calla Lily Mystery series by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Anna Celeste Burke and join the race! Recipes Included. Free to read in Kindle Unlimited.

Praise for A Tangle in the Vines(A Calla Lily Mystery)by Anna Celeste Burke

Well developed characters each playing a part makes it even more fun. Makes for a great cozy read making it perfect for fans of the genre. Wine lovers should appreciate it as well since it is set in the middle of wine country.~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

About Anna Celeste Burke

Life is an extravaganza! Figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge. On my way to Oahu, to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had married in Tijuana, I was nabbed as a runaway. Eventually, the police let me go, but the rock band broke up.

Retired now, I’m still married to the same sweet guy and live with him near Palm Springs, California. I write the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set here in the Coachella Valley, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery Series set along California’s Central Coast, The Georgie Shaw Mystery series set in the OC, The Seaview Cottages Cozy Mystery Series set on the so-called American Riviera, just north of Santa Barbara, and The Calla Lily Mystery series where the murder and mayhem take place in California’s Wine Country. Won’t you join me? Sign up at: http://desertcitiesmystery.com.

About Who Shot the Serif?

When Jamie Lang finds one of her hand lettered quotes on the window of her shop, Flourish, with a hole shot through a serif, she knows someone’s trying to drive her business into red ink. Jamie confronts Earleen Culp, the ruthless owner of the local stationery shop, in front of the most popular breakfast spot in the small town of Cedar Valley. Of course, Earleen professes shock and innocence, so when she’s found dead in front of Jamie’s home the next morning, Jamie becomes the prime suspect.

Jamie’s one cross-stroke short of acquittal, and even her best friend has her doubts. But Jamie’s not the only one in town with a motive for wanting Earleen silenced for good. To clear her name, Jamie’s going to need every last drop of ink in her quill.

With the hot police chief Ridge, and her makeup artist friend Nora on her side, she’s prepared to go out with a flourish if that’s what it takes to catch the real murderer. She’s desperate to save her hand lettering business, but will her quest lead her right into a killer’s snare?

Praise for Who Shot the Serif?(Hand Lettering Mystery)by Jessa Archer

This was a great, quick read and the first crafting cozy I’ve read with hand-lettering as the theme. The characters were likable, the pace was quick, and I found this to be a fun start to a new series.~The Book’s the Thing

Who Shot the Serif? is a humorous cozy mystery with a nasty nemesis, police chief with a fine physique, rampant rumors, canceling customers, surprising secrets and a hand lettering artist with a desperate need for coffee.~The Avid Reader

The story moved along at a nice pace, with enough suspense to keep the pages turning . . . Nice start to a cute series likely to please most cozy mystery fans.~Cassidy’s Bookshelves

I quite enjoyed the first book in this new series, from the clever writing to the killer hiding in plain sight. Then there is Jamie’s business, hand lettering, something I admire but cannot do myself. I think I should have paid more attention to my cursive in grade school!~Storeybook Reviews

Who Shot the Serif? by Jessa Archer is as smartly done as its title and as cute as its cover . . . Witty banter, solid friendships, and a little dash of romantical feelings round out the clever mystery and keep you fully engaged to the end.~Reading Is My SuperPower

Immediately you will settle into the town of Cedar Falls – there is even a map in the front of the book! I love maps like these! As you get to know Jamie’s friends, clients, and neighbors, you will wish you lived there too.~Here’s How It Happened

Who Shot the Serif? by Jessa Archer is fabulous. The characters, setting, and knowledge of hand lettering are amazing.~Baroness’ Book Trove

At first, I wasn’t sure about this book . . . by the end, I was thinking about adding the later books to my TBR list!~A Wytch’s Book Review Blog

About Jessa Archer

Jessa Archer writes sweet, funny, warm-hearted cozy mysteries because she loves a good puzzle and can’t stand the sight of blood. Her characters are witty, adventurous, and crafty in the nicest way. You’ll find her sleuths hand lettering inspirational quotes, trying to lower golf handicaps, enjoying a scone at a favorite teashop, knitting a sweater, or showing off a dramatic side in local theater.

Jessa’s done many things in her long career, including a stint as a journalist and practicing law. But her favorite job is spinning mysteries. She loves playing small town sleuth and transporting readers to a world where the scones are delicious, wine pairs with hand lettering, and justice always prevails.

The body of Quincy McKay’s nemesis and biggest competitor in the floral business has just been discovered in a casket at the mortuary, complete with flowers on the lid.

Derrick Gibbons, aka The Vulture, stole all of Quincy’s funeral business, and now she’s on a mission to get it back. But there’s a problem—Quincy is now the main suspect in The Vulture’s murder.

Armed with only her Zombie delivery van, good intentions, and the business card of a handsome cop named Alex, she must find the killer, save the flower shop, and keep from ending up in the next casket. If she can dodge burning bushes, the plague of a polygamist ex, and her mother’s Mormon Mafia Spy Network, her life with Alex and her shop could become the perfect arrangement.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Quinella/Quincy McKay has taken over her aunt’s florist shop, Rosie’s Posies. Business was good until Derrick Gibbons, aka The Vulture, took over all funeral business in the area. It is only fitting he should meet his demise and be found laid out in a casket complete with flowers ready for his own funeral. Because of an altercation with the deceased right before he was killed Quincy lands firmly at the top of the suspect list.

She meets another police officer who tells her she has nothing to worry about. Andy is easy on the eyes and there are immediate vibes between them, but Quincy isn’t sure if she can trust him. She knows she needs to clear her name while avoiding her mother’s Mormon Mafia Spy Network all while dealing with the fallout of her polygamist ex, her sister’s abusive boyfriend, an employee that is getting on her last nerve, and another who she knows she needs to fire. She also needs to stay out of the killer’s way or she could be pushing up daisies next to the Vulture.

Set in Utah, Quincy’s mother wants her daughters to settle down with nice Mormon men, both tried but the men were not who they appeared to be. Qunicy gets out of her relationship and she is determined to help her sister get out of hers even with their mother putting up roadblocks.

We also meet a quirky group of supporting characters. Quincy’s employees, other florists, funeral home staff, and of course members of the local police department. The characters all have their own amount of baggage and the author does a good job fleshing them out. Quincy doesn’t always make the best moves but in her mind, they make sense. She is evolving and that is always a good thing.

Ms. Adams wraps these characters not only in a murder mystery but several subplots. She takes on some hot button issues but keeps them from getting too heavy with well-timed humor. The main mystery was a twisted up puzzle with a variety of suspects in addition to our protagonist. It was fun to follow all the clues to a suspenseful satisfying conclusion.

I love flowers so I loved the descriptions of the floral creations. It was easy to picture every one.

With the perfect amount of humor and romance, The Final Arrangement was an enjoyable mystery, with one caution, this story includes explicit language that for me takes it out of the cozy mystery genre. That being said I am excited to read the next book in the series.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author

Annie Adams is the author of The Flower Shop Mystery Series and the Rosie McKay Mystery Series. She lives with her husband, two giant dogs, and two, too giant cats in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. When not writing she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van.

Stir Up (Lark Davis Mysteries)by Annabelle Hunter

About the Book

After her last brush with murder, Larklyn Davis is relieved to be spending her time with the talented new horse at her stables instead of tripping over body parts. While she’s trying to figure out why her newest horse has lost his mojo, she’s also puzzling over her relationship with the brooding, uncommunicative Detective Brecken Wilson.

But then, disaster strikes, and both Lark’s reputation and business are on the line. Once again she finds herself pulled into a murder case and in close proximity to the handsome Detective. Throw in a dashing veterinarian plus a matchmaking town and Lark’s life spins out of control. As clues pile up and all evidence leads back to her barn, Lark gets saddled up to solve another mystery.

Who knew life in Barrow Bay would stir up so much trouble?

About the Annabelle Hunter

Annabelle Hunter is a stay-at-home mom and an avid fan of classic mystery shows and dressage. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two children, and too many animals.

Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Tribune Lifestyle reporter Grace Warner is assigned to cover a charity ball at a Lake Geneva mansion owned by Ivy and Edward Braun and she drags along best friend Emma Moore who also works for the Trib as a sports reporter. Grace is friends with the Brauns so she feels right at home. But it is Emma who finds a man knocked out in the study. More investigation finds the wall safe empty. A three-million-dollar necklace that was there before the event started is now missing.

Grace has dreams of becoming an investigative reporter and knows solving this case could be her big break. Enter Detective Ryan O’Mara who may have chemistry with Emma, but doesn’t like her and her friend butting into his case.

First, I have to mention the setting. Lake Geneva is a beautiful place for a vacation and it sounds like Ivy and Edward Braun live in one of the palatial estates complete with a pool on the roof. Most of the summer residents have Chicago ties but Wisconsinites love to visit and know it’s rich history. It is the perfect place to set a mystery series.

Ms. McKenna has crafted strong and engaging characters. Emma and Grace’s friendship shines in this story. They couldn’t be more different but over the years they have grown so close those differences don’t matter. They make a great investigative team too. The author also introduces us to Detective Ryan O’Mara. He is a cop’s cop. An Irish Jamaican who is attracted to Emma almost immediately. They all feel genuine and the dialogue is spot-on.

It was refreshing to not have a dead body to start off the story. Instead, we have a thief and a mansion full of suspects. Detective O’Mara is on the case but Emma and Grace seem to have the inside advantage. This, of course, puts them in danger. The author lays things out in a logical way but she throws in twists that really sent by deliberations of the guilty party in several different directions.

Well plotted, paced and written, this series is off to a grand start I want to delve into these characters deeper and get to know them better. For her first foray into the cozy mystery genre, Elizabeth McKenna done herself proud.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author

Elizabeth McKenna’s love of books reaches back to her childhood, where her tastes ranged from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to Stephen King’s horror stories. She had never read a romance novel until one Christmas when her sister gave her the latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she admits it was the first love scene). She combined her love of history, romance, and a happy ending to write Cera’s Place and Venice in the Moonlight. Her contemporary romance novel, First Crush Last Love, is loosely based on her life during her teens and twenties. The Great Jewel Robbery is her debut cozy mystery, and she hopes readers will like it as much as they have enjoyed her romances.

Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and a sassy Labrador. When she isn’t writing, working, or being a mom, she’s sleeping.

The Great Jewel Robbery by Elizabeth McKenna is a fantastic book. I loved it from the first page of the book until the end.~Baroness’ Book Trove

A fun friendship book with an interesting cozy mystery and a hint of romance.~Laura’s Interests

I liked this book. Emma and Grace are likable, well-developed characters . . . A great start to a new mystery series.~Cassidy’s Bookshelves

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It was a quick read and once I started the book, I didn’t want to stop until I figured out who the thief was. I definitely recommend this story to cozy mystery lovers . . .~Carla Loves To Read

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A government conspiracy. A life-threatening secret. Can a psychic accountant balance the books of justice?

Mary Catherine “MC” Mahoney prefers numbers to her supernatural powers. But when a cold-case corpse shows up under her cousin’s family home, the only calculations that add up are paranormal. And deep within the floorboards of the house on Xenia, MC and her madcap Greek family uncover evidence pointing to visitors from another planet…

Pursued by military agents intent on keeping the secrets buried, MC will have to play by the house’s rules to expose the alien mystery. And there’s only one member of the family who can get to the hidden truth…

Can MC reveal the cover-up, or will a dangerous hush job close her books forever?

The House on Xenia is a standalone novel in the Mary Catherine Mahoney cozy mystery series. If you like psychic female sleuths, crazy family antics, and long lost aliens, then you’ll love Rita Moreau’s quirky tale.

Hi Sister Matilda! Welcome to Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? “My name is Sister Matilda. I am the assistant mother superior of the Order of the Sisters of Saint Anthony. Sort of like a vice president. Saint Anthony is the saint you pray to when you have lost something (or you are lost). My order contains a secret society of nuns who are psychic, including me. It comes in handy when Saint Anthony is busy and trust me he is busy. I am short and petite but I carry myself as someone as tall as my best friend Sister Hildegard. She says I am a walking Wikipedia on any subject. I have a deep love of history. The nuns at the convent do their best to avoid me because it will lead to what they have dubbed: history time.”

How did you first meet Mary Catherine Mahoney?

“Through her Aunt Sophia. I also had her as a student back in the day. She was a handful. We were told she had a knack at finding things. Part of it was her training with the IRS and part of it her DNA. She is a reluctant psychic. We were desperate since we had lost a very old jewel which some say contained supernatural powers. We ordered her to find it and she did (eventually).”

Want to dish about him/her? “She is easily scared by nuns but then who isn’t?”

Why do you think that your life has ended up being in a book?

“The author attended the play, Late Night Catechism and found out that nuns are not supported by the Catholic Church. We’re on our own. She then visited her high school nuns, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Cincinnati and they told her about the audit of Catholic nuns by the Vatican. She decided to weave all that into her third book Feisty Nuns.”

Tell us about your favorite scene in one of the author’s book. “In chapter 11 of The Russian & Aunt Sophia, we were all in the back seat of Limo Louie’s Cadillac Fleetwood and on the way to Jennifer’s party. We had fun drinking shots out of little red solo cups and comparing our outfits.”

Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you? “No, she pretty much obeys my every command. She is a product of parochial schools just like her protagonist, Mary Catherine.”

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere? “Sit and meditate in the Garden of Saint Hildegard which sits on our convent property. We grow herbs in the garden, much like Saint Hildegard, for medicinal purposes of course.”

Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about? “I’d love to see the author’s books made into a movie.”

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do? “Go to a museum. I love history. It’s my passion.”

What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they’ve known you for a while? “I scare them. Mother Superior, Sister Hildegard, is very tall and we wear the habit, unlike modern nuns who wear everyday clothes. I stand next to her and its lights out. After they have known me for a while I still scare them.”

What are you most afraid of? “Flying insects.”

What’s the best trait your author has given you? “Strength of character.”

How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change? “I worry for my order since we do not get any assistance from the Catholic Church. We are getting older and there are no younger nuns to take our place. If we live long enough we will run out of funds. They will separate us and send us to the old folk’s homes.”

What aspect of your author’s writing style do you like best? “Her voice.”

If your story were a movie, who would play you? “Why myself of course, Sister Matilda.”

Describe the town where you live. “Fish Camp, a small Florida town near State Road A1A.

Describe an average day in your life. “Busy, putting out fires.”

What makes you stand out from any other characters in your genre? “I’m a nun and I’m very tall.”

If you could be “adopted” by another writer, who would you choose? “Mary Higgins Clark.”

Will you encourage your author to write a sequel? “Yes. We need the money. She regularly donates funds from her book sales to the sisters.”

Thank you, Matilda, for visiting today!

About the Author

Rita Moreau is the author of the Mary Catherine Mahoney Mystery series.

A workaholic by nature, upon retirement, Rita Moreau began work on her bucket list, writing a book. Traveling the national parks with her husband George in a vintage Bluebird motor home, (on George’s list), Rita completed her first novel Bribing Saint Anthony. Back home she completed Nuns! Psychics! & Gypsies! OH! NO, Feisty Nuns, The Russian & Aunt Sophia and The House on Xenia. Rita and her husband live in a postcard called Florida where he has fun telling everyone he is the author’s husband. When not writing she joins PatZi Gil on the Joy on Paper radio program with Book Buzz Mysteries or you can find her teaching fitness classes and doing her best to keep busy. She loves connecting with readers.

Thank you to my wonderful sponsors!!

Elizabeth J. Duncan

Set in North Wales, Canadian amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan attends a dinner party at a posh country house--where a historic chair disappears and a waiter is murdered.

Artist and spa owner Penny Brannigan has been asked to organize a formal dinner to mark the centenary of the armistice that ended World War One. After dinner, the guests adjourn to the library for a private exhibition of the Black Chair, a precious piece of Welsh literary history awarded in 1917 to poet Hedd Wyn. But to the guests' shock, the newly restored bardic chair is missing. And then Penny discovers the rain-soaked body of a waiter.

When Penny learns that the victim was the nephew of one of her employees, she is determined to find the killer. Meanwhile, the local police search for the Black Chair. The Prince of Wales is due to open an exhibit featuring the chair in three weeks, so time is not on their side. A visit to a nursing home to consult an ex-thief convinces Penny that the theft of the Black Chair and the waiter's murder are connected. She rushes to Dublin to consult a disagreeable antiquarian, who might know more than he lets on, and during the course of her investigation confronts a gaggle of suspicious travelers and an eccentric herbalist who seems to have something to hide. Can Penny find the chair and the culprit before she is laid to rest in the green grass of Wales?

Nancy Lynn Jarvis

New Cozy Series!

Law Librarian Pat Pirard got an unexpected thirty-fifth birthday present: a pink slip. Now she has nine weeks to reinvent herself before she runs out of money. Her best friend Syda gives her a glass-forming class as a birthday present and distraction where Pat again gets a surprise: a murder.

Cynthia Kuhn

The Subject of Malice is the strongest book in this series to date.
~Carstairs Considers….

The organizers have rustled up plenty of surprises for the literary conference at Tattered Star Ranch. But the murder of an influential scholar wasn’t on the program—someone has clearly taken the theme of Malice in the Mountains to heart. This shocking crime is only the beginning: Other dangers and deceptions are soon revealed.

English professor Lila Maclean has a full agenda: She must convince a press to publish her book (possibly), ace her panel presentations (hopefully), and deal with her nemesis (regrettably).

However, when Detective Lex Archer requests Lila’s academic expertise, she agrees to consult on the case. While her contributions earn high marks from her partner, it could be too late; the killer is already taking aim at the next subject.

As Lila races to keep her colleagues alive, publish or perish takes on new meaning.

Debra Sennefelder

One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister

Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing—until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .

Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .

One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon—who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .

Elizabeth McKenna

Mystery with a splash of romance…

Chicago Tribune reporters Emma and Grace have been best friends since college despite coming from different worlds. When Grace is assigned to cover an annual charity ball and auction being held at a lakeside mansion and her boyfriend bails on her, she brings Emma as her plus one. The night is going smoothly until Emma finds the host’s brother unconscious in the study. Though at first it is thought he was tipsy and stumbled, it soon becomes clear more is afoot, as the wall safe is empty and a three-million-dollar diamond necklace is missing. With visions of becoming ace investigative journalists, Emma and Grace set out to solve the mystery, much to the chagrin of the handsome local detective.

Though American by birth, Frances Wynn, the now-widowed Countess of Harleigh, has adapted admirably to the quirks and traditions of the British aristocracy. On August twelfth each year, otherwise known as the Glorious Twelfth, most members of the upper class retire to their country estates for grouse-shooting season. Frances has little interest in hunting—for birds or a second husband—and is expecting to spend a quiet few months in London with her almost-engaged sister, Lily, until the throng returns.

Instead, she’s immersed in a shocking mystery when a friend, Mary Archer, is found murdered. Frances had hoped Mary might make a suitable bride for her cousin, Charles, but their courtship recently fizzled out. Unfortunately, this puts Charles in the spotlight—along with dozens of others. It seems Mary had countless notes hidden in her home, detailing the private indiscretions of society’s elite. Frances can hardly believe that the genteel and genial Mary was a blackmailer, yet why else would she horde such juicy tidbits?

Aided by her gallant friend and neighbor, George Hazelton, Frances begins assisting the police in this highly sensitive case, learning more about her peers than she ever wished to know. Too many suspects may be worse than none at all—but even more worrying is that the number of victims is increasing too. And unless Frances takes care, she’ll soon find herself among them . . .

A page-turning mystery full of wonderful characters,
humor, Southern charm, and just a little bit of romance.

When a last-minute opportunity arises to accompany her boss to an art auction in Atlanta, Lilly throws some money at the problem of where to board her toy poodle Aggie (short for Agatha Christie). Posh Pet Haven offers the most luxurious canine accommodations in all of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The place even provides pet cams so anxious owners can check in on their pampered pooches.

But when Lilly tries to take a peek at her poodle, she gets a terrible shock—she witnesses what she’s sure is a murder. She thinks the victim may be the wealthy co-owner of Pet Haven. The police follow her lead but find no body, no evidence of a crime, and no video record. Starting to feel like the dog owner who cried wolf, Lilly decides to go undercover to catch a killer who may be hiding in plain sight …

Maggie Toussaint

Using normal and paranormal senses, Baxley matches wits with a cunning adversary.

Justice for the dead and solace for the living is Baxley Powell’s creed, but she faces uncharted territory in this sixth book of the Dreamwalker Mystery Series. The Suitcase Killer has struck again, only this big city menace is now a problem for Baxley’s hometown. As that investigation heats up, a local woman is reported missing. The sheriff orders Baxley to work the missing person’s case.

Listening to the dead is familiar ground for Baxley but finding a missing young lady isn’t in her skill set. Besides, her dreams rarely follow a timeline. With the clock ticking, can this crime consultant discover a way to reach the living?

Her main source of help in the afterlife, a mentor named Rose, is unavailable. Instead, Baxley must rely on her wits and her Native American boyfriend, Deputy Sam Mayes, to find leads. Each shared dreamwalk and energy transfer binds them closer together, creating another issue. Mayes wants to marry Baxley but it isn’t that easy. They’re hampered by their community roles in opposite ends of the state.

Baxley juggles the pressure of two high-profile cases, a determined suitor, and expanding her limits. One thing is certain. Without her extrasensory sleuthing, the missing woman will die.

Meg Macy

Sasha and her sister Maddie are thrilled that the Silver Bear Shop and Factory has won the Teddy Bear Keepsake Contest, which means they get to produce a holiday specialty toy, a wizard bear named “Beary Potter.” Promising to be just as magical is Silver Hollow’s annual tree-lighting ceremony and village parade. Only one hitch: the parade’s mascot, Santa Bear—played by Mayor Cal Bloom—is missing.

After a frantic search among the floats, Bloom is found dead. When the outfit is removed, it’s clear the mayor’s been electrocuted. Who zapped hizzoner and then stuffed him into his Santa Bear suit? While the police investigate the grisly crime, Sasha attempts to track down the murderer herself, with some help from the Guilty Pleasures Gossip Club. Can they wrap up this case in time for Christmas—or will Sasha meet her own shocking end?

Zara Keane

Two Times, Two Crimes…

Dee Flanagan loves Irish history, bad rom-coms, and red lipstick. Dead clowns, injured time travelers, and shoot-outs don’t make it onto the small-town reporter’s Top Ten list. After the bullets stop flying in Dunleagh Castle’s courtyard, it’s up to Dee to convince people she didn’t imagine a gunfight played out between two centuries.

With the body count rising, and no one willing to believe Dee’s time travel theory, she’s forced to team up with a man who’s either a bona fide fruit cake or a police officer from the year 1919. Using her expert knowledge of the Irish War of Independence, Dee sets out to solve a century-old crime, plus a modern-day murder.

Suzanne Trauth

DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY

Restaurant manager Dodie O’Dell has found her niche in the cozy New Jersey town of Etonville, creating menus that make a delicious double-act with the community theater’s productions. Now she’s ready for a vacation at the Jersey Shore town she called home before a hurricane hit. Sun, salty air, and seagulls make for a nostalgic escape from regular life—until a contingent from Etonville arrives to compete in a Jersey Shore theater festival.

Roped into helping her former boss cater the event, Dodie also gets a visit from her old flame, Jackson, who’s hoping to revive his charter boat business and is looking for a place to crash. Before Dodie can tell him that ship has sailed, Jackson’s partner is found murdered on his boat. Dodie knows her ex is a mooch, but she’s sure he’s no killer. But as she follows a trail of evidence that leads into her own past, Dodie stumbles on a dangerous conspiracy theory that could bring the festival to a shocking finale…

Anna Gerard

New Cozy Series

What’s black and white and dead all over? Georgia bed and breakfast proprietor Nina Fleet finds out when she comes across a corpse in a penguin costume.

Nina Fleet’s life ought to be as sweet as a Georgia peach. Awarded a tidy sum in her divorce, Nina retired at 41 to a historic Queen Anne house in quaint Cymbeline, GA. But Nina’s barely settled into her new B&B-to-be when a penguin shows up on her porch. Or, at least, a man wearing a penguin suit.

Harry Westcott is making ends meet as an ice cream shop’s mascot and has a letter from his great-aunt, pledging to leave him the house. Too bad that’s not what her will says. Meanwhile, the Sisters of Perpetual Poverty have lost their lease. Real estate developer Gregory Bainbridge intends to turn the convent into a golfing community, so Cymbeline’s mayor persuades Nina to take in the elderly nuns. And then Nina finds the “penguin” again, this time lying in an alley with a kitchen knife in his chest.

A peek under the beak tells Nina it’s not Harry inside the costume, but Bainbridge. What was he doing in Harry’s penguin suit? Was the developer really the intended victim, or did the culprit mean to kill Harry? Whoever is out to stop Harry from contesting the sale of his great-aunt’s house may also be after Nina, so she teams up with him to cage the killer before someone clips her wings in Peach Clobbered, Anna Gerard’s charming first Georgia B&B mystery.

Paula Darnell

DIY Diva Laurel McMillan rejoices when her student Jennifer's peacock pillow wins a design contest; that is until Jennifer's husband Matt is smothered with the very same pillow. When the police confiscate her prize-winning pillow, Jennifer freaks out, and Laurel fears that Jennifer may be more upset about losing the pillow than about Matt's death. But the police arrest disgraced nurse Edna Elkins, not Jennifer. Begging Laurel to find the real killer, Edna insists she's innocent, but Laurel's not so sure, and when Laurel encounters Jennifer while walking her lovable Labrador retriever, Bear, she's left with more questions than answers. Should the crafty DIY Diva play DIY Detective or does Edna really belong in jail?

Heather Haven

When chefs Charly and Cliff Harding divorce, she gets custody of their upscale restaurant and its namesake, Felix, the cat. He gets custody of their dog, Oscar. But what they both still have custody of is each other’s heart. and they seem to be the only two in the small ski resort town of Snow Lake, Nevada, who don’t know it. Cliff opens his own restaurant in direct competition with Charly’s and bad things start to happen. Death threats, accidents, and murder are now on the menu.

Their ‘if-you-can’t-take-the-heat-then-get-out-of-the-kitchen’ battles are backfiring on them. But can they find their way back to each other? Or will they spend the rest of their livesin prison unjustly accused of murder?

Debra Goldstein

Coming September 24, 2019

Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone . . .

Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end . . .

When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the Blair girls’ sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?

Anna Celeste Burke

Coming September 10, 2019

The curtain may fall on the Calla Lily Players’ first season unless Lily and Austin can find a killer on the loose in California’s wine country. Torrential rains threaten to put a damper on The Calla Lily Players’ first outdoor theater production. When the ground suddenly shifts, buried secrets revealed amid the tangled vines put the spotlight on murder. As Lily and Austin dig deeper into the mystery, the drama unfolds onstage and off. The race is on to find a killer before opening night.

Grab your copy of the second book in the Calla Lily Mystery series by USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Anna Celeste Burke and join the race! Recipes Included.

Jodi Rath

New from Jodi Rath!

Financial fraud of elderly villagers in Leavensport, an urban sprawl threat to the community, disastrous dates, cross-sell marketing gone wrong, and another murder? Jolie Tucker is ready to try dating again. Well, she has no choice—since her family auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Her best friend, Ava, has agreed to a double date, but both friends find out hidden secrets about their partners as well as deception by one of the village's own, who will soon be found dead. This plot is sure to be spicy!

Laura Childs – Cackleberry Club Mysteries

The Christmas season at the Cackleberry Club café is marred by murder in the latest book in the New York Times bestselling series.

Some say that casting crusty attorney Allen Sharpe as Scrooge in the Kindred Players production of "A Christmas Carol" is just playing to type. He's not the most beloved man in town. In fact, you'd have a dickens of a time finding someone who liked him. Still, it's a shock when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him during the first rehearsal. Suzanne, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club café, Kindred's favorite combination diner, craft store and bookshop, chases the murderer out of the building but loses him in the alley.

As the days pass the list of suspects grows longer. Is it the disgruntled partner? The former secretary whom Sharpe sexually harrassed? Or is it fellow owner of the Cackleberry Club, Toni's almost ex-husband, Junior? The women of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he can add another victim to his Christmas list.

Laura Childs – Tea Shop Mysteries

Theodosia Browning serves tea and solves crimes in Charleston, a city steeped in tradition and treachery in the latest Tea Shop Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

It is Sunday afternoon, and Theodosia and Drayton are catering a formal tea at a hot-air balloon rally. The view aloft is not only stunning, they are also surrounded by a dozen other colorful hot-air balloons. But as the sky turns gray and the clouds start to boil up, a strange object zooms out of nowhere. It is a drone, and it appears to be buzzing around the balloons, checking them out.

As Theodosia and Drayton watch, the drone, hovering like some angry, mechanized insect, deliberately crashes into the balloon next to them. An enormous, fiery explosion erupts, and everyone watches in horror as the balloon plummets to the earth, killing all three of its passengers.

Sirens scream, first responders arrive, and Theodosia is interviewed by the police. During the interview, she learns that one of the downed occupants was Don Kingsley, the CEO of a local software company, SyncSoft. Not only do the police suspect Kingsley as the primary target, they learn that he possessed a rare Revolutionary War Union Jack flag that several people were rabidly bidding on.

Intrigued, Theodosia begins her own investigation. Was it the CEO's soon-to-be ex-wife, who is restoring an enormous mansion at no expense? The CEO's personal assistant, who also functioned as curator of his prized collection of Americana? Two rival antiques' dealers known for dirty dealing? Or was the killer the fiancée of one of Theodosia's dear friends, who turns out to be an employee—and whistle-blower—at SyncSoft?

Laura Childs – Terrie Moran – Scrapbook Mysteries

<An exploding Mardi Gras float has got to be the strangest murder weapon scrappy sleuth Carmela Bertrand has ever encountered in this latest Scrapbooking Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author.

It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans and scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is excited to be attending the Pluvius Parade along with her best friend Ava. Carmela's ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster. Shamus' float crashes and explodes, and although Shamus escapes unhurt, a member of his krewe is killed.

Carmela and Ava plunge into an investigation of the krewe-member's death, but as they dig deeper it starts to look less like an accident and more like a murder....and Shamus seems less like a victim, and more like a suspect.

Blogoversary

Best Reads 2019

Best Reads 2019
These books have received my
Paradise Rating

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